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T'Keyah Crystal Keymah
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh (born Crystal Walker January 13, 1962) is an American actress, writer, director, producer, singer, and comedienne. In addition to her status as an original cast member of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color, she is perhaps best known for her roles as Erica Lucas on the CBS sitcom Cosby, and as Tanya Baxter on the Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=1 edit Biography http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=2 edit Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois,[1] from the age of three, Keymáh enjoyed entertaining her family—singing, dancing, and reciting original poems and stories. She wrote her first play and her first song in elementary school. She performed with Ali LeRoi and Lance Crouther in the Mary Wong Comedy Group in high school before Florida A & M University's School of Business and Industry recruited the National Merit Scholar Champ.[2] During and after college, Keymáh taught theater, dance, and pantomime. She has also done many theater performances and produced and directed films. She was Miss Black America from Illinois and was second in the national Miss Black America contest. She is a National Merit Scholar and a graduate of Florida A & M University. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=3 edit Career One of the original cast members of Fox Television's Emmy winning variety show, In Living Color, where for five seasons she played a number of characters, including Cryssy, the central character of her self written signature piece, "In Black World". She also sang and danced on the show. Keymáh starred for three seasons on the Disney series That's So Raven as Raven's mom, Tanya Baxter. In the fourth season of the show her character was written out by saying she went to England, to continue pursuing her career in law school. Keymáh was also a series regular for for seasons on Cosby, where she played flight attendant turned lawyer turned pastry chef turned wife and teacher Erica Lucas, TV daughter of Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashād. She also starred on The Show, where she played writer Denise Everett, and on On Our Own, where she played contractor Scotti Decker. T'Keyah is currently an Artistic Associate of Stage Aurora Theatrical Company, Inc. located in Jacksonville, FL where she recently performed her hit variety show T'Keyah Live! with Founder Darryl Reuben Hall in the Annual Aurora Jacksonville Black Arts Festival. T'Keyah Live! was performed July 28, 2008 at the Stage Aurora Performance Hall in Gateway Town Center.[3] She is also a Consulting Director of Bronzeville Community Theatre Company in Chicago, IL where she co-wrote and directed the world premier of S.I.S.T.E.R. (Sharing Intimate Secrets, Trials & Errant Reflections) and will direct it there again in May of 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=4 edit In Living Color Characters *LaShawn *Shawanda Harvey, host of Go On Girl *Mrs. Buttman (The Buttmans) *Hilda Hedley (Hey Mon) *Leslie Livingston (Homey the Clown) *Cryssy (Black World) http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=5 edit Impressions *Diana Ross *LaToya Jackson *Jackée Harry *Jasmine Guy (as Whitley Gilbert on A Different World) *Janet Jackson *Pam Grier *Ruby Dee *Barbra Streisand *Jean Stapleton *Whoopi Goldberg *Eartha Kitt *Anita Baker *Joi Lee *Shahrazad Ali http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=6 edit T'Keyah Live! T'Keyah Live! is a variety show and is Keymáh’s fourth self-produced theatrical show. The show includes witty repartee, musical numbers, endearing characters, audience participation, impressions, video presentations, jokes and a special guest. She has performed the show since 1999 with a number of different guest performers including Todd Bridges, Terrence C. Carson, Ralph Harris, Dawnn Lewis and Karen Malina White. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=7 edit Personal life Keymáh is an avid gardener and a vegetarian,[4] as well as an active, life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.[5] She is also a professional poet, singer and dancer, and an amateur visual artist. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=8 edit Named for Keymah There is a theater scholarship named for Keymáh at her alma mater, Florida A&M University and a medical scholarship named for her at Meharry Medical College. Associated Black Charities operates the donor advised Keymah Cultural Fund. The Keymah Cultural Fund provides tickets to youth groups for theatrical performances and funds artistic groups that serve or are composed of teens and children. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=9 edit Books Published Keymah is the author of "Some of My Best Friends: A Collection of Characters," the book version of the stage show she performed for ten years, and "Natural Woman / Natural Hair: A Hair Journey - Hairstyles and Hairstories from the Front with Simple, Step-by-Step Instructions on Taking Care of your Natural Hair," an instructional manual on hair with anecdotes on her experiences as one of the first actresses to wear her hair naturally on prime time television. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27Keyah_Crystal_Keym%C3%A1h&action=edit&section=10 edit Filmography Category:Actress